WORLD BRIEFING | EUROPE; Italy: Birds Force Plane To Land

By RACHEL DONADIO

Published: November 11, 2008

A Ryanair flight from Frankfurt made an emergency landing at Ciampino Airport near Rome on Monday after striking a flock of starlings, Italian news outlets reported. Two crew members and several of the 166 passengers were reportedly treated for minor injuries. As the plane began its landing, the birds were sucked into its engines, damaging the landing gear and forcing the aircraft to slide to a halt. One turbine then detached and hit the ground.